Coalition for a Sustainable Future in Yucaipa v. City of Yucaipa CA4/2

Coalition for a Sustainable Future in Yucaipa (Coalition) filed a petition for writ, of mandate against the City of Yucaipa and its city council (collectively Yucaipa) challenging Yucaipa’s approval of Oak Hills Marketplace (Project), a shopping center to be developed by Target Corporation (Target) on acreage owned by Palmer General Corporation (Palmer). That petition, filed pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA; Pub. Resources Code, § 21000 et seq.), was denied, and Coalition appealed that decision. That appeal became moot when Target abandoned the Project due to a contract dispute with Palmer. This court directed that the order denying mandate be reversed with directions to dismiss the action with prejudice due to mootness. Coalition then brought a motion for attorney fees in the trial court, asserting that its petition was the catalyst for Yucaipa’s action to revoke the entitlements. The trial court denied the motion and Coalition appealed again.

In this appeal, Coalition argues the denial of attorney fees was error because the mandamus petition was the catalyst motivating Yucaipa to revoke the entitlements, the relief Coalition had sought in the…